This National Adoption Week, Michelle shares the story of how she adopted two beautiful daughters with her wife Laura
BY ELLA GAUCI, IMAGES PROVIDED
Michelle was introduced to her future-wife Laura by a friend 10 years ago. The pair were in their late 20s, and both worked in the NHS. As they fell in love, they began talking about building a family together. Although they had spoken about IVF, as they were a same-sex couple there wasn’t an option available to them that would be funded or financially accessible. When they were invited to an opening evening about adoption, they went without any expectations. They left knowing that adoption was the only way forward for them.
“With Laura and I, we never wanted to choose who did what or who would carry when,” Michelle explains to me. “Adoption just eliminated that for us.”
After going through the thorough process to become adoptive parents, Michelle and Laura knew that they were ready to begin their family together. Michelle credits the amazing social worker who took the time to learn about the couple, ultimately helping them to be matched with their first daughter Natasha*.
“We were a mixed bag of emotions,” Michelle gushes. “Nervous, excited, scared, anxious. The more we got to learn about it, the more we fell in love with this one black and white photo we had of her.”
Natasha came home to Michelle and Laura when she was seven months old. The couple got to see most of Natasha’s “firsts”, and fell instantly in love.
Adoption has done more for Michelle than just helping her create the family she has dreamt of. “I became much more settled in myself as a gay woman,” she admits. “For me, I learnt that I could do it and it was possible to do it. The training that you go through can be intense. I learnt that I’m pretty resilient, and open honesty is always the way forward.”
Following the COVID-19 pandemic, Michelle got the second phone call that would change her life. It was from the adoption agency about a newborn baby who needed a forever home. It was a no-brainer to Michelle and Laura: “We couldn’t let her down.”
Now Michelle and Laura have two beautiful girls, and their family is happier than ever. “It’s grounded me in a way that I never thought I would be grounded,” Michelle smiles. “I am so confident and proud in our family that I could scream it from the rooftops.”
And her advice to other LGBTQIA couples thinking about adoption? “Throw yourself at it!”
This National Adoption Week, Michelle is supporting You Can Adopt’s campaign ‘The Journey’ to highlight that the road to a family doesn’t have to be a traditional one, and that families come in all shapes and sizes. To find out more about adoption or starting your adoption journey, visit youcanadopt.co.uk/naw
*Names have been changed for anonymity
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